The Last Human (a novel)

All of them had seen the election season images and heard the rants and posturings from the packed field of candidates and their political action committees. All of them had heard at least half of the candidates shout scandal. Across the Internet blogs and columns strove for the loudest and most attention-getting spins on it.

News magazine covers were already out showing Innini and Raymond. Newspaper headlines were on the order of: WHITE HOUSE SCANDAL! And: IMBROGLIO WITH NEW SUMER SPY-TEMPTRESS! "They'll have all the sound-bite artists," Idris said. As a former President's daughter, she was not unknowledgeable of campaign opportunism. "Implying there was a plot to sucker us into another Middle East adventure is just S.O.P. A great many people already regarded the National Security Advisor as a bumbling Somar al Jadeeda cheerleader. A scandal with Innini was just icing on the cake. The President knows he's got to go."

"Well he did it to himself," Perdita said. "All I care about is he's out of here tonight.

All heard the sound of a door opening and turned toward the front door. Perdita stood up and faced it with arm stretched out and her finger pointing like a weapon.

"Ray, I don't want you in this house!" she shouted.

Raymond Gordon, humbled, a little disheveled, stopped a step or two inside the door. He waved both of his hands beside his face. "Okay. That's what I expected. I rented a motel room. Just let me get a few of my things."

Perdita nodded to two plastic storage tubs near the door. "Your things are in the tubs."

"I still love you, Perdita," Raymond said. As he said it he realized it sounded like a bad soap opera line.

"Just take your things and go, Ray," Perdita told him.

"They fired me," he said.

"What'd you expect?" she retorted.

"Ray, my sister's furious," Lionel told his friend. "Let's go to your motel. We can talk there."

Raymond hoisted one of the storage tubs on his shoulder. Lionel lifted up the other one. Idris opened the door for them. Raymond turned his head and took a last hopeless look at Perdita, saw that it was indeed hopeless, and went out. Lionel followed him out. Idris shut the door.